(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer controller and a program recording medium recording a program in which the printer controller is embodied. Specifically, it relates to a printer controller installed for a printer which is connected to a network and a program recording medium recording the program in which the printer controller is embodied.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
In recent years, to share software resources such as data and software or hardware resources such as a printer and a modem in the environment where a plurality of computers are used by many users, it is becoming general to form a network by connecting the computers to each other. Over such network, it is general to use printers and databases shared by host computers in the network, and in order to perform batch processing for printers and databases for requests from host computers, a computer called a server is installed. For example, when a plurality of host computers (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cclientsxe2x80x9d) are used together with a printer, a printer server is installed. The printer server is a computer which provides the service sharing the printer and has the function of performing the operation setting and change of the printer setting in accordance with requests from the client.
Before the printer server is introduced, the operating state of a printer is displayed on a small liquid crystal panel mounted on the printer and the printer is also set with a small number of limited buttons mounted on the printer. However, the display of such a liquid crystal panel is exceedingly hard to see and such buttons are hard to use because of their bad operability. Moreover, if the printer is located at a site separated from the client, it is difficult for a user of the client machine to always identify the operation of the printer. To solve these problems, such a printer controller has been installed over a network up to this time, that can identify the printer operation from the client.
For example, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 9-185472 and the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 9-311769, a user of the client is provided with the information about the operating state of the printer such as print status or error occurrence on the display window of a client machine in real time by using a GUI (graphical user interface). Similarly, it is able to set the operation of the printer in real time by using such GUI.
However, the prior art described above includes the following problems. If such GUI as described above is used over a network, a dedicated controller has to be installed in both the server and the client machines that are scheduled to use the printer including both the server and client machines. This is because the server and the client machines become able to mutually communicate with each other by installing dedicated controllers and perform the operation monitoring and setting of the printer. In particular, in a large-scale network environment, the workload of installing the dedicated controller in such machines is heavy.
Moreover, whenever a new printer is additionally installed in a network, such printer-dedicated controller must be installed in all the machines that are scheduled to use the printer, and the workload required for such installation work is also heavy.
The present invention has been developed in consideration of the problems in the prior art described above, and it can apply to the printer controller and a recording medium recording the program in which the printer controller is embodied.
An object of the present invention is to provide, in a printer installed in a network, a printer controller which can greatly reduce the workload during printer installation and a recording medium recording the program in which the printer controller is embodied.
Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer controller which can easily perform the operating state monitoring, check and instruction of the printer from a client and a recording medium recording the program in which the printer controller is embodied.
To solve the issues, the printer controller of the first invention according to this application is installed over a network to which a printer server, a client and a printer are connected. Further, the printer controller performs the communication between the client and printer via the printer server. Moreover, the printer server has the function of a web server and has the function of setting at least one or more of the operation monitoring, check and instruction of the printer by a client browser.
Accordingly, the operating state of such printer can immediately be identified when the operating state of such printer must be obtained on the client. Besides, when a new printer is installed, because the step of individually installing a dedicated controller which corresponds to the new printer is not required, the workload required for installing the printer in the network can greatly be reduced.
Further, the printer controller of the second invention according to this application is installed over a network to which a printer server, a client and a printer are connected. Further, the printer controller performs the communication between the client and printer via the printer server. Moreover, the printer server has the function of communicating with a browser and has the function of setting at least one or more of the operation monitoring, check and instruction of the printer by the client browser.
Accordingly, the operating state of such printer can immediately be identified when the operating state of such printer must be obtained on the client. Besides, when a new printer is installed, because the step of individually installing a dedicated controller which corresponds to the new printer is not required, the workload required for installing the printer in the network can greatly be reduced.
Furthermore, in the third invention according to this application, the printer controller of the above first invention further comprises a control unit for communicating with a printer server and a database. The database communicates with the control unit and manages the printer information sent from the printer in a batch. Further, the control unit receives the browser information sent from the client browser from the printer server and sends the operation setting request and/or change request of the printer to the database as needed.
Accordingly, for example, whenever a new printer is added to a network, because the environment of the control unit and the entire printer server need not be updated, the workload required for additionally installing the printer in the network can greatly be reduced. Besides, because the information about all the printers connected to the network can immediately be detected, the maintainability of the network can be improved.
Further, in the fourth invention according to this application, the printer controller of the above first invention further comprises a control unit for communicating with a printer server and a database. The database manages the printer information sent from the printer in a batch and the printer server are provided. Further, the control unit receives the printer information from the database and sends it to the printer server.
Accordingly, for example, whenever a new printer is additionally installed in a network, because the environment of the control unit and the entire printer server need not be updated, the workload required for additionally installing the printer in the network can greatly be reduced. Besides, because the information about all the printers connected to the network can immediately be detected, the maintainability of the network can be improved.
Furthermore, the fifth invention according to this application is the printer controller of the above first invention, wherein the printer information is displayed on a client browser.
Accordingly, because the operating state of the printer is displayed as an image formed using a graphical user interface, a user of the client machine can easily identify the operating state of the printer.
Besides, in the sixth invention according to this application, the printer controller of the above first invention further comprises a control unit comprises a state monitoring unit which obtains the operating state of a printer. And the printer controller further comprises a setting control unit which obtains the operation setting value of the printer from a database and updates the setting value as needed. Further, the setting control unit and the state monitoring unit are installed in the control unit independently of the database, respectively.
Accordingly, whenever a new printer is additionally installed in a network, because the environment of the control unit and the entire printer server need not be updated, the workload required for additionally installing the printer in the network can greatly be reduced.
Further, the seventh invention according to this application is the printer controller of the above sixth invention, wherein a setting control unit and/or a state monitoring unit is installed corresponding to a printer.
Accordingly, whenever a new printer is added to a network, the workload regarding the additional setting of the printer can be reduced. This is because the setting control unit and/or the state monitoring unit corresponding to the new printer may simply be installed and the environment of the control unit and the entire printer server need not be updated.
Furthermore, the eighth invention according to this application is the printer controller of the above sixth invention, wherein a setting control unit has a polling setting control means which executes polling every fixed time.
Therefore, the operating state of the printer is automatically updated when a preset, predetermined time elapses. Accordingly, because a user need not perform any update procedure on purpose, the workload of a user of the client machine can be reduced.
Besides, the ninth invention according to this application is the printer controller of the above sixth invention, wherein a setting control unit has a polling setting control means which executes polling every fixed time.
Therefore, the operating state of the printer is automatically settled when a preset, predetermined time elapses. Accordingly, because a user need not perform any update procedure on purpose, the workload of a user of the client machine can be reduced.
Further, in the tenth invention according to this application, the state monitoring unit of the above sixth invention has an image data unit for generating an image file. Therefore, an appropriate and detailed image corresponding to a printer can be provided.
Furthermore, the 11th invention according to this application is a storage medium recording a program and a recording medium recording the program, wherein the printer controller of the above first invention according to this application is embodied.
Accordingly, when such program is recorded in the recording medium, the printer controller can easily be installed in the printer server even if such program becomes a high-capacity one.
The present invention attains the objects described above by each of these means.